Maizuru Naval District: Beginning
by Ark Shiranui
Summary: A one shot about a female admiral being assigned to the Maizuru Naval district and her first encounter with the battleship Richelieu and the seaplane tender Commandant Teste. This is where those who are fated to meet first saw each other...and this is where it all started...]


_What is it that you've been longing?_

The view of the blue morning sky and the familiar sent of sea water surfaced a lot of old feelings within me. It's been a long time since I last saw the sea and the open nature.

"Maizuru naval district, huh..."

I looked around the naval base I've been assigned to with my suitcase being held by my right hand and some papers on my left hand.

"So there must be several ship girls stationed here"

I've been informed that this naval base is composed of mostly destroyers and little of other ship types as this is the most recently built base. No wonder some structures are not completely built.

"Bonjour"

I looked behind me and saw a blonde woman with a beret waving her hand. Just by looking at her, I can tell she's the gentle and friendly type who wouldn't get angry.

"Are you the admiral assigned here?" She quickly noticed, huh

"I'm just assigned today. I'm admiral Suveran Schwarze from the German navy, the Kriegsmarine"

"Oh! Then I'm the Seaplane tender Commandant Teste. Enchantee, admiral"

I see. The gentle looking one with triple colored hair streak is Commandant Teste. She's also a Seaplane tender. This is my first time seeing one.

"You should get settled first before you can meet the others"

Commandant Teste tried to lift my luggage but she barely lifted it off the ground. Her cheeks blushed as I looked at her, confused and somewhat amused.

(This is a bit embarrassing...)

Well I suppose my suitcase is heavy with all the clothes and other stuffs I packed in there. Maybe it's a bit too heavy for a seaplane tender like her.

 **The next day...**

Dreams. On some nights I would dream of an old memory that was long buried in my past.

"When I return, let's celebrate, okay?"

There was a sweet and hopeful smile on my face, but I know...there's sadness behind it.

"I'll be waiting for your return"

I waved my hand as I left her...hoping...It was a sad memory I wish to forget, but a pleasant one I don't want to lose. It's strange, isn't it?

"Reveille!"

Someone kicked the door open and yelled loud enough for me to snap out of my dream.

"Uaaaah!" I fell off from the bed as a result

"It's six o clock, admiral! Time to get up!"

A blonde woman with grey dress and a long scarf grabbed me and shouted in an aggressive manner.

"Richelieu, that's not how you wake up the admiral"

(Teste?)

Commandant Teste walked in as well and sounded disappointed towards the blonde woman who woke me up in an annoying manner.

"It's already morning. The admiral should know when to wake up early"

"She just got here yesterday. Honestly..."

Commandant Teste sighed and shook off her head. Her face looks embarrassed as she looked at me.

"I'm sorry, admiral. Richelieu woke you up rudely"

"Rudely? It's only appropriate"

"You don't call kicking the door and shouting at the admiral appropriate" Teste pouted

"It's fine, Commandant Teste. As an admiral, I should have discipline"

I wryly laughed and forced myself to myself even though I didn't like how this Richelieu woman disturbed my sleep. Either way, I got dressed up and readied to face the day. Of course my day started with that French battleship serving breakfast.

"Bread?"

"It's Brioche. You put jam or any filling you like there"

"This reminds me when I had to eat potatoes for breakfast...for three days"

I laughed remembering my childhood while sweeping jam over the bread Richelieu served for breakfast. There are also scrambled eggs and ham slices. Typical Western breakfast.

"Hmm? Why so?" Commandant Teste asked

The two French ship girls sat near me and joined with me for breakfast. Commandant Teste was shy at first, but I told it's fine to join me for breakfast, unlike Richelieu who didn't even ask if it's okay or not.

"When I was young, the Abyssals attacked and ravaged my hometown. My parents were killed so my older sister is that I have left"

"Oh. An older sister" Richelieu look susprised

"Yeah. I admire my sister because she's strong in many ways. She worked hard so the two of us can live even in such conditions"

"It must be nice to have an older sister~"

I'm still thankful of my sister for looking out for me for all those years. Well a lot of things happened so I can't see her and I can let her see me. Deep inside, I do want to see her even for a brief moment. I want to know if she's doing alright.

"At times like these, the sea is surprisingly peaceful"

I sweetly let out a smile while I look at ship girls doing practice exercises. The one that caught my attention is a battleship with triple 46cm gun mounts. I've never seen a battleship with that kind of guns before and her displacement is far different.

"It must be nice to fire those kind of large calibre guns" I sighed

"Oh? Admiral?"

My daydreaming ended when I saw the woman who woke me up in an unlikely manner behind me.

"Watching the girls doing training, are you?"

"Yeah. It's kind of amazes me Japan has this kind of ship girls"

My attention is still towards the battleship with large calibre guns and heavy looking displacement.

"Hmm? What's the matter, admiral?"

"I suddenly thought whether I can fulfill my job as an admiral. I mean this kind of thing is not my forte"

I scratched my head, messing up my ponytailed hair a bit. She then placed her hand on my shoulder and looked at me right in the eyes.

"Just believe in yourself, admiral. Everyone starts from nothing, you know"

"You..."

"I will place my trust on you, ma amiral"

"..."

I first thought of her of somewhat rude and does things as she pleases, but she can be unexpectedly nice...and slightly inspirational.

"Thanks, uhm..."

"Richelieu. I am the battleship Richelieu"

"Richelieu, huh. Is it okay if I call you Richie?"

"Don't push it"

"Okay"

After a shot conversation with Richelieu, I went back to my office and along the way, a couple of destroyers ran in the hallway.

"Too slow, too slow!"

"Get back here, pyon!"

A yellow haired girl with a skimpy sailor outfit ran swiftly and the destroyer behind her could barely catch up.

"Aaah youth. Reminds me of my sister and I when we were young"

I chuckled as I continued walking until I reach my office. Seeing my office still a bit messy, I decided to finish cleaning up so I can take care of the reports I need to do and the documents I have to review.

"I'm not as strong as I used to be"

After lifting a few boxes, I can feel my back aching from the weight of those furniture. I sat on my chair and rested for a while. I sighed upon the comfort of my back leaning against the chair.

"Excusez moi, amiral" Commandant Teste knocked and walked in

"Commandant Teste?"

That gentle and friendly expression of hers makes me feel light hearted for some reason.

"I just came to check if admiral is doing okay on the first day of the job"

"Ha ha ha. I'm doing fine here...sort of"

"I-Is that so? Then if admiral needs any help, feel free to ask"

I don't really understand, but Commandant Teste definitely looks embarrassed as she slowly leaves the room.

"Let's see here...Inventory check?"

Since I've only been posted here yesterday, I don't have much things to do. My job will probably get worse as time passes by.

"Fuel, ammo, steel...and bau...xite..."

When I went to the resources storage warehouse, I noticed the bauxite is fewer than other resources.

"Huh? That's not right..."

I think there's been a bit of a mistake as the bauxite in the warehouse is less than the amount listed in the audit.

"Where did the bauxite go?"

Bauxite are used for carrier plane pilot's maintenance and if anything...only a carrier has use for it.

"Aaaah crap. Someone must have taken it or something"

I keep looking around and found small traces of bauxite on the ground. Did someone eat them? As far as I know, only fairy pilots consume bauxite...as snacks.

"Hmm?"

My front view got shadowed over and a pair of shoes with rudders for heels stopped in front of me.

"Admiral, why are you staring at the ground in that position?"

Richelieu stood in front of me with her hands on her hips.

"Ah well...I'm wondering why the bauxite suddenly got fewer"

"Suddenly got fewer?"

Richelieu looked over the storage and went towards there. When she saw the bauxite storage...she clenched her fists.

"T-those...Japanese...carriers...!"

"Richelieu?"

"Carrier division 01!"

She stormed out of the warehouse and yelled at the sky with her fists high up in the air.

"Ah where are you going?"

"Admiral, I must discipline two certain aircraft carriers"

"Ri-Richelieu!"

I followed after her, fearing she might do something troublesome. I found her glare very menacing and even I am afraid off...so I kept my distance while following after her.

(The dormitories...?)

If I recall this is the aircraft carrier dormitories. Richelieu's anger is obvious with her heavily stepping on the wooden floor.

"Carrier division 01!"

With a single powerful kick, she broke the door open...I mean she really broke the door.

"The door..."

I guess I have to get it fixed later. Inside the room are two adolescent girls wearing a modified Japanese attire.

"Ahahaha. Richelieu-san..."

The one with a red uniform hid the bauxite she was obviously eating. The other one in a blue uniform sat there with an expressionless face.

"The bauxite" Richelieu cracked her fists

"Ah well...you see..."

Before she could explain the reason, Richelieu grabbed both of their heads and I can tell she's tightly squeezing it.

"You two...needs to show some discipline now that we have an admiral now"

There were a lot of scolding that happened and it ended with Richelieu hitting them in the head.

"I have to apologize for that, admiral" Richelieu finally calmed down

"I-It's fine" I never saw someone in my life be that angry

After that scenario, Richelieu took a deep sigh and massaged her temples. I never thought she's this scary.

"Well I didn't know there is a bauxite hunter in this base"

"There are more troublesome girls here"

From the way she looked at me with an unhappy face, I can say those girls are troublesome.

"I can handle troublemakers. Trust me..."

"Admiral is so confident. How amusing"

(Is that supposed to be a compliment)

"I'm an admiral now. The ship girls here are my responsibility. If I can't handle them, then I can't be called an admiral"

Gazing straight to her eyes, I said those words as even if being an admiral won't be easy, I took this job for a reason.

"I can't fight in the front lines anymore, but I want to at least do something to retake the peaceful seas"

"..."

"There are people I want to protect, that's why I have to keep fighting to the bitter end. Besides, I made a promise to someone important to me"

"Admiral..."

After a moment of silence, Richelieu smiled and softly laughed for a few seconds. I guess what I said is a bit too cheesy as they call it.

"Very well..."

"...?"

"I never thought mon amiral is this determined and have this kind of resolve"

I wonder if she found it amusing or acknowledging it to a degree. Either way, her smile says it all.

"You look like you have potential, admiral"

"Ha ha ha. Is that so?"

"Even though I still view you as somewhat useless"

"Well that's just harsh"

This woman is both slightly nice and horribly frank. I'm not really an admiral to begin with and I'm not used being the one doing the commanding. Since the beginning, I'm used to being commanded. Maybe taking this job was a bad choice. It's that tea drinking old lady's idea in the first place.

"If I were to be your secretary, I'd make sure you won't slack even for the slightest minute. I'd make sure you'd do your responsibility"

"Okay then. I'm making you my secretary starting now"

"That's right. I- Heh?"

"What?"

"What did you just say?"

"I'm making you my secretary?"

For some reason she looks surprised. Why does she look so surprised? There's nothing odd about anything I said.

"Why me?"

"You said it yourself. Beside, you certainly look like someone I can rely on. Someone that can bring out the best in this useless admiral"

"But..."

"Then you don't want to be my secretary then?"

Just seeing Richelieu's aggressive and bold attitude, I can see she's the type of someone who can keep an entire fleet in their line. Me on the other hand...not so much.

"It's not that I don't want it, but it's so sudden"

(What is this? Some sort of marriage proposal?)

She's making it look like a marriage proposal even though I'm not eligible for a ring yet.

"Alright. Richelieu accepts it. I shall be your secretary"

"That's great"

"Then ma amiral should stop slacking and return to her work right this instant"

"Already?!"

"As your secretary, it's my duty to make sure even the admiral does her job"

I guess I did choose the right secretary after all. It will be a pain first, but I'll get used to it. After all...this is my life from now on.

"Time to get back to work, ma amiral"

Without a second thought, Richelieu dragged me away. Wow. I didn't even know her shaft horsepower exceeds mine despite the displacement difference.

* * *

 **Extra**

The breeze, the sunlight, and the atmosphere made a perfect day for a nice cup of tea outdoors. Warspite took this opportunity to enjoy such a peaceful day drinking her favorite tea together with Ark Royal.

"It seems Japan's Maizuru Naval base has an admiral now, but I'm sure you are aware of it"

"Oh I am. It's quite amusing. Really" The grand old lady took a small sip from her freshly warm tea

"And you have no plan on telling _them_?" Ark Royal raised an eyebrow

"I respect her wish and I can understand her reason"

Warspite gently put down her tea cup to a saucer and sighed in relief. Ark Royal gave off a neutral expression while doing the same.

"Besides. We all have different lives now. She doesn't wish to ruin it...especially _her sister's_ "

The serenity of the surroundings doesn't compliment the seriousness between the two English ship girls.

"Knowing her, she must have a good reason. But this isn't something we can take lightly"

"I'm well aware of that. Which is why we must thread carefully or the everything will spiral out of control" Warspite sighed lightly

"Fine...but when the times comes, you have to tell _them_ the truth" Reluctant at first, Ark Royal agreed after looking at Warspite's seriousness

Ark Royal stood up with a bit of dismayed expression on her face as she walks away.

"Dont' worry. That time will certainly come"

The veteran battleship responded before Ark Royal left and the latter gave a smirk before walking away. Even with Warspite's gentle smile, she worryingly gazed up at the bright blue sky...

 _I can only wonder...when will the two of you...meet again..._


End file.
